


fade to white

by mazabm



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Gen, Minor Character Death, No cheating, Post-Canon, Slow Build, Soul Society Politics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2020-12-16 05:16:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21030842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mazabm/pseuds/mazabm
Summary: When Soul Society tells Ichigo his son had been killed in action, Ichigo's entire world flips upside down, and the peaceful life he built for himself comes to a screeching halt.When Ichika appears on his doorstep a week later needing his help, there is hope for him to put it back to rights.Or,Old man Ichigo and Ichika set out to find out the truth about his son, Kazui, meanwhile, Rukia comes face to face with the consequences of her actions





	1. set up

**Author's Note:**

> Wanted to play with post canon a bit, in a different way than I am in revolution wears you well

When Ichigo’s son turned 11, Soul Society took him. 

“No,” He said, as he clutched at his son’s shirt. The Shinigami looked at him, something close to pity in their eyes. It had been ten years since he defeated Yhwach. He was their hero, but his son has not only inherited his powers but also his mother’s. He had so much reiatsu before he even took his first steps his cries rattled their walls. Ichigo wanted to say he never thought Soul Society would do this, but he knew better. 

“It’s an order by Central 46, Ichigo.” The Lieutenant looked apologetic, a deep frown etched into their face. Soul Society was full of cowards for not sending Rukia or Renji or another captain, cowards to send a weakling to him, someone he would beat.  _ We could kill him.  _ Zangetsu hummed. “We have to train him. They do not want him,” 

“To be like me.” The lieutenant dropped their head. 

“An accident to happen, sir.” He wondered how Shunsui decided who he would send for this, maybe he picked someone expendable on purpose. 

“Dad it’s fine! I’ll see Aunt Rukia all the time and the academy’s super cool,” His son held much of his mother in him, even down to the worried expression on his face. 

“He is a child,” Ichigo said, rough and low. 

“So were you and his reiatsu already dwarfs yours. They wanted you trained once, they will not take no for an answer for him.” Zangetsu shifted in the back of his head, ready to move and it has been years since he held the sword in his hand, he wondered if that had been a mistake. 

“Ichigo,” Orihime began, and he looks back at her, her hands open, ready to defend him and with him about to move when Kazui grabbed his shirt. 

“Dad it’s okay.” (He looked like his aunt Yuzu did once, mature when he shouldn’t have to be) 

Soul Society took their son and their clinic was quiet for the first time in years. Ichigo hated it. 

They took Rukia’s daughter. 

“She is far too young for this,” Rukia said looking at Byakuya in the eye, something she couldn‘t do as a child but now, with them both captains now she was almost to his level. 

“All Kuchikis begin their training at this age,” She heard the ‘You were an exception and not the rule.’ as if he said it. “She will be safe.” 

“She,” She didn’t know why she was arguing, she just thought they would have more time. 

“She is the heir to our clan and will succeed me, Rukia. This is not up for discussion.” 

“Captain,” Renji started and even now, Renji couldn’t afford anything other than to incline his head to the other man, couldn’t help but subconsciously step back. “We were gonna wait until she decided.” 

“The _family_, ” And she watched her husband flinch, it was a low blow by her brother. “Has already decided.” 

“And if we said no?” Rukia asked, not sure why she said it. 

“Don’t.” He said, and they both fell silent. “Both of her parents are captains, either you start her training now or soon someone else will take that decision from you.” 

“Is that a threat?” Renji asked all sharp teeth and intentions. 

“It’s the way of our world.” 

“Did you know?” He demanded of her, the coward, he thinks when she appeared on his doorstep weeks later. “Did you know that they would take my son?” ‘Did you try to stop them?’ He wanted to ask of her. He was all intensity and burning eyes like he was 15 again and couldn’t hold what’s inside of him. 

“They took Ichika,” She said in response and he froze. 

“I didn’t,” He was not suffering alone (he’s never suffered alone) 

“You wouldn’t. Family business.” Maybe it’s meant to hurt him but it doesn’t cut as it should, it might be the frown etched into her face. 

“Why?” Why would they take their children, so young, rob them of a childhood their parents never had. 

“To control us, I think.” And her violet eyes gleamed with something he didn’t understand yet it was easy for him to reach out his hand and she took it, tightly. (When Ichigo was 15, he met a girl who changed his universe) She smiled weakly at him. (He might have changed hers too) 

Rukia asked him why he didn’t visit (why he didn’t fight for Soul Society anymore, why he stayed on Earth), he didn’t have the heart to tell her that every time he stepped in Soul Society, he could feel the eyes of the Second Division upon his back, how the captains watched him wondering if he’s come to take their spot. How Renji hugged him hard every time as if that will be the last time he saw him. 

It hurts too much. He told her. She thought it was all the baggage, she’s only half right. 

On the eve of his 46th birthday, they told him his son died and Karakura shook with his power. 

His knees hit the ground, and he screamed, and he cried. It was Orihime’s soft hands on his back (she always had a key), Uryuu helped him stand. 

“Ichigo,” She sighed (her eyes were red) He was their son, they shared something so precious even after they had fallen out of love. “It’s okay.” She said, her voice shook. “It’s okay.” 

It was definitely not okay. 

“I knew the soul reapers would get him killed!” Uryuu said sharply and Orihime and Ichigo flinched from where their hands gripped the mugs of tea and the other man dropped his head in apology. Ichigo felt his anger at the situation, tried to find his own. He only found regret, a shit ton of regret. 

“I know.” He wanted to apologize to Orihime, it’s his powers that killed their son, not hers. Soul Society would have never wanted Kazui if he had only his mother’s powers. Possibly, he and Orihime would still be together if their son had only received his mother’s powers. 

“I asked for his body, they said no,” Orihime said. He heard her muttering ‘I reject’ underneath her breath as if it would make their son appear. It does not. “A hollow couldn’t have killed him.” She said, hopes clinging to every word. “I would have felt it, we would have felt it.” 

Ichigo thought if anyone killed his kid he should have felt something but he didn’t. 

“That means he must have died in Soul Society,” Uryuu said. 

“Or not,” Orihime said. “He has to be somewhere, he’s not just gone!” They had traveled through so many dimensions, so many worlds, they had beaten everyone who tried to stop them and yet,

“That’s a possibility but,” Uryuu started and Ichigo could see them planning, trying not to accept what was lying in front of them. 

“He’s dead,” Ichigo said, hollow and empty. “He’s dead and we can’t do anything.”

Once, there was a 15-year-old boy who thought if he wanted something hard enough he would get it. He saved Rukia, conquered his hollow, defeated Aizen and anyone who tried to hurt his family. 

But he couldn’t protect his son.

“Where would his soul have gone?” Ichigo asked Urahara, and the man frowned. They sat across from each other in Urahara’s little shop, quiet because just as Ichigo’s son had grown up so had Urahara’s. They had moved on, without Kazui, Ichigo feels stuck. 

“Drink your tea.” The other man said, he opened his fan and closed it. He was thinking, Ichigo realized. It amazed him that after years he could still read the man. 

“Wherever you go,” Urahara started. “He would have followed but unfortunately, you’re still here.” Ichigo looked down, he outlived his son,  _ what parent would want that? _

“ _ If  _ your son is dead, I don’t know where he would be.” The other man said, and Ichigo saw his eyes and knew he was not lying, but the thought stayed with him

He traveled in a daze, letting those who had moved away know about his son’s demise, there was no body, they don’t hold a funeral, no memorial. It felt less real like an orange-haired boy would appear in front of him, beaming. Rukia and Renji don’t visit, he didn’t activate Zangetsu to go see them. He didn’t know if he wanted to, they would just remind him of his son, remind him of Soul Society taking him away. 

Maybe that’s why he was blindsided when Ichika appeared on his doorstep. Not unlike her mother many years ago. Her violet eyes were just like her mother’s but her red hair was unmistakable. He thought she was a perfect mix of her parents unlike his son who had all his mother in him, which was not a bad thing, not a bad thing at all. 

“Hey, Mr. Kurosaki,” She said, biting her lip. “Can I come in?” 

She answered none of his questions, crashed into his couch (where once the six of them had watched Chad’s first fight and that feels so long ago) and passing out into a deep sleep.

Ichigo watched over her, paced his living room before finally he called his friends, he didn’t know who else to call. 

“She’s okay, she’s in a gigai.” Orihime said, after checking the girl over (woman, he reminded himself, she’s grown up) “Exhausted. Depleted powers.” He thinks about Rukia in her gigai, being drained to protect an invention (a weapon of mass destruction).

“Why do you think she’s here?” He asked. He thought about trying to reach her mother but he hesitated. 

“She said nothing?” 

“Nothing.” 

It’s several hours before the woman awakened, Ichigo sat at his table and waited. Orihime and Uryu left (she had placed a kiss on his forehead) told him to call with any updates. He saw a perk in Orihime’s step when she left; he knew she hoped that Ichika brought answers with her. But Ichigo had lived his life for a long time now and he knew the other woman probably brought way more questions than answers. 

“Mr. Kurosaki?” Her voice was quiet, weak sounding.

“I’m here.” He told her, gentle in a way he hadn’t been in ages. “What’s going on, kid?” She was not the child anymore that would visit with his son, a zanpakutō on her shoulders, no she was a woman he watched grow up, now trapped in a human shell, but her eyes were big and he crumbled the same way he did for her mother so long ago. 

“I need help.” She whispered (as if speaking it any louder would make it true) “I knew they were hiding something, but I didn‘t think it would,”

“Be like this.” He said (he thought about Urahara telling him about stumbling through the earth, trying to survive without Soul Society) 

“It was supposed to be me with Kazui that night.” His heart stopped beating in his chest. “Uncle stopped me at the last minute, claimed he couldn‘t send his Vice-Captain on something so minuscule. Miniscule? Kazui was his 3rd!” There were tears in her eyes and Ichigo knew there was horror reflected in his eyes. “He didn’t come back, and they told us he was dead.” Tears fell, but she continued. “But I didn‘t think he was, or he wasn‘t then.”

“What are you saying?” Ichigo asked, but he knew what she would say back. 

“I went looking, right, for answers and they almost got me.” 

“Who are they?” He asked, his voice shaking. 

“It was a squad from the Second, trying to kill me.” Ichigo breathed out. That’s worse than he thought. Second was too good to let her escape and Zangetsu was in his hand before he took the next step. “Mr. Kurosaki?” Her voice raised and panicky. She reminded him of his sisters and the need to protect was like a well-worn coat he pulled on with ease. Zangetsu hummed with content. 

He stepped outside his front door and stopped when he saw the yellow shield around the house.  _ Even after all this time, the Princess has got you.  _ He breathed out a sigh of relief. Orihime got him, even after all this time. 

“Were you followed?” He asked. 

“I don’t think so,” Ichika said, she’s sat up, held a mug of tea in her hand.

“Why come to me?” Ichigo asked her. He’s suspicious, he has to be, she was alive and if she was telling the truth, she escaped an assassination attempt by Second, had a gigai depleted of energy, she was well trained he knew that (she took the Vice-Captain seat her father once held, Rukia had cried) But it was unlikely even she would have gotten this far. 

“You’re his dad, you‘re supposed to help” She raised her voice and her eyes narrowed. 

“And your mother and father are captains in Soul Society.” It was suspicious. But his heart was beating hard, a feeling of hope. 

“You’re the hero!” She said, standing up. “If you can‘t save Kazui, do you think anyone else can? The way Mom and Dad talked about you, you’re supposed to be able to do anything!”

“I can’t bring Kazui back from the dead!”

“I don’t think he’s dead!” She yelled. “And that’s why they tried to kill me!” 

Unsurprisingly, Urahara was there first. 

“Hello, young Miss Kuchiki, it’s good to see you on your feet again.”

“It is your gigai” Suspicious. There was an accusation laced in there, even Ichika was looking at Urahara with mistrust. 

“Not the one her mother had.” And Urahara put his hands out, it reminded Ichigo of the man apologizing to him once. “I gave her a simple one, she refused my help past that.”

“I didn’t know Mr. Kurosaki was gonna call you for help,” Ichika said as she glared at Urahara. 

“I helped him many years ago to help your mother, why wouldn’t he call me?” The two glared at each other and Ichigo rolled his eyes. He didn’t ask what Urahara did, knowing him someone in Soul Society probably spoke of the man with a less than appreciative voice and Ichika had internalized it. 

“Focus, how did you escape Ichika? Who knows about you?” If Rukia and Renji, he stopped his thoughts, his friends would never betray him like this, he didn’t know who else would dare. 

“I flashed step away from the initial attack, there’s this kido trick that Kazui came up with that throws you into the space between the gates, I used it but it took too much of my power.” He remembered when Yoruichi taught the kids to flash step, it was like a tag game to them and the kids had taken to it so well. “As for who knows, Captain has to know, when I went to the barracks that night, all of Kazui’s stuff gone and anything he touched of mine gone. All his stuff in the mansion too. All of it!” The panic was back in her voice and Ichigo and Urahara stared at each other. 

“You realize you’re accusing a Captain of knowing what murdered your friend, his third,” Urahara said. He said it, no hiding. “Your uncle?” He said to Ichika like she’ll take back what she said. 

“There is no way this got past him! He misses nothing and what are you defending him for?” And that was Renji’s daughter alright. “Captain knows more than he lets on and if he knows about Kazui and kept it from me than I don’t care what happens, he will answer for it.” 

“You’re just like Renji,” Ichigo said, something like a laugh was in the back of his throat, nostalgia was a killer. “And no you won’t, you’ll be staying here.”

“What?” The shock on the girl’s face would be funny if it didn’t cover up her anger. “I can’t stay, if you have a plan,”

“You escaped an assassination, depleted your powers by throwing yourself into the Dangai! You’re not ready to go back, it’s too dangerous!” And there is a sense of irony here, a bit of hypocrisy embedded in his tone. 

“That was earlier, I’m fine now!” 

“No, Ichika!” The girl glared at him, her jaw tense. He couldn’t stop himself from seeing her mother in her, it made him soft. 

“I found Urahara’s shop, found you. I can handle a little power drain, I’ll be fine, but you can’t leave me behind. I made a promise.” She said.

“A promise?” Urahara asked. 

“I said I would protect him and I wasn’t,” When Urahara made eye contact with Ichigo, a strange sense of nostalgia that overtook him. “I have to be there now, I have to know how I failed!” 

“She sounds just like you.” They snapped their heads to the door where Uryuu and Orihime stood. “We’re going to soul society?” 

They were not all going to Soul Society, Ichigo was certain. 

As Orihime and Urahara worked side by side to ensure Ichika’s power was strong enough to survive the trip, the girl explained exactly how the kido trick worked. 

“It’s based on the way Hallows travel, they rip open space to go to Hueco Mundo, Kazui figured there had to be a way for Soul Reapers to do the same thing with the living world without having to go through the Seikaimon. He didn’t get far with it.”

“That would be no small kido trick, it would be an advanced teleportation spell.” Knowing Urahara he was pretty impressed. “And illegal.” He added as an afterthought. 

“Yeah, well Kazui is always coming up with new stuff like that.” 

“And he was in six over twelve?” Over more than one person scoffed at the notion. 

“As if Kazui would ever work with that creep Mayuri.” It’s amazed Ichigo, the way she talked about his son, as if he was still alive as if he was still involving himself in Soul Society politics choosing to go to a division with his best friend over one where his talents would get more use. Renji has tried to convince the boy for weeks to think hard but Kazui had decided as soon as Ichika had. Wherever one went, the other followed. To think their captain had perhaps betrayed them both was, 

“Ichigo!” Orihime said and Ichigo looked up at her, realized his power was fluctuating, Ichika looked pale. He hasn’t slipped like this in years and within a month, he had slipped twice, without Kazui, all of his well-worn control was disappearing. 

“You really think Byakuya knows what happened to Kazui?” 

“He should know what happened to his third and if he’s keeping it from Ichika then it must not be what they told us.” And if Byakuya knew then Rukia and Renji might know and that thought shook him to his core. “We have to know.” 

“And if he knows then what?” Uryuu asked.

“I’ll kill him,” Ichika said as she rose. Her gigai sprawled on the couch behind her. “Kazui is our family and if Uncle betrayed him, he doesn’t deserve to run our clan.” And there was some Kuchiki pride there interlaced with a sense of betrayal. 

“ _ For now _ , you will sit back down until we’re done,” Urahara said before turning to look at Ichigo. “You know nothing about what you’re walking into.” 

“It’s my son.” He said, hating the way his voice went hoarse, desperation clung to every word. “I have to at least try.” 

The last time Ichigo had been in Soul Society was eight years ago when Kazui entered the Sixth Division as a seated officer. 

They had a dinner to celebrate in the Mansion, their families as interlaced as the day he saved Rukia. It had been nice, to see his friends, now Captains of the seventh and thirteenth respectably, and their children, new members of the sixth, together. It would be the last time he saw them for quite a while.

He would have treasured it more if he had known what the future held. 

“Your powers will give you all away the moment you’re through the gate. And if,  _ if  _ Kazui is alive you could put him in more danger.”

It was a risk they would have to take.

Ichika stood next to him, her hand on her sword hilt, the other gripped his robe as he held the hell butterfly in his hands. 

“You’re sure this will work?” 

“That butterfly is for captain travel, so they won’t be on high alert but as soon as they have discovered you, you’ll have to fight.” 

“I’m a Vice Captain, maybe I can,”

“You don’t know what’s happening. Depending on who gave that order to Second, you’re a criminal the moment you step foot in Soul Society and if they have a lock on your reiatsu, you’re in trouble.” He heard the grinding of her teeth.

“If we don’t hear in three days, we will be there,” Uryu said and Ichigo met him with a nod. They had updated Sado and Tatsuki who had echoed the same, both of them already traveling back to Kurakura. Kazui was in a way their son too. 

Orihime gripped his arm, and she didn’t even need to say anything, he knew what she asked of him. 

_ Bring our son home. _

He raised Zangetsu, the hell butterfly flapped once.

“Don’t die Kurosaki,” Urahara said, his mouth in a tight line. This was a trap, was what Urahara’s face said. For Kazui, he would walk into thousands of traps. 


	2. swing of things

“What do you mean Ichika is missing?” she repeated back to Byakuya, the man’s frown grew deeper. 

“Multiple people saw her leaving her post, and they can’t find traces of her reiatsu anywhere.” Her heart dropped from her chest. 

“First Kazui, now this, You don’t think she’s,” And he was quick to shake his head. 

“No. No, his death,” 

“Disappearance.” Rukia interrupted. The word difference is the only thing keeping her in Soul Society and not in Karakura, was she even wanted there? 

“Affected her more than she was showing, I tried to give her time off, she refused. There is no telling what was going on in her head.” There was a tension to her brother’s jaw, in just a week he had lost not only his third but now his Vice-Captain as well. 

“I told Renji to talk to her, if Shunsui thinks she deserted,” And Rukia hated the panic in her voice.

“He doesn’t, he’s put out a silent alarm to the Captains to be on high alert if they see her, ” There was something bigger going on here,

“Where are the search teams, she’s a lieutenant where is the urgency?” 

“I have men searching the Seireitei, the Rukongai, is much too large for a full-scale operation.”

“Is it just going to be for a few hours? And then are you going to declare her dead like you did,”

“Enough.” Her brother said as he sent her a sharp look. “This is not like Kurosaki” 

“Isn’t it? You gave us six hours to look for him, you were so sure he was dead, how do I know you won’t do the same for Ichika?”

“You think me so heartless that I won’t even look for my lieutenant?” She slammed her palm onto the desk.

“Kazui was your third!”

“And the only surviving man who is in a coma now said that he saw Kazui give his life to save him, Ichika left her post, Rukia!” And Rukia leaned away from him. “We aren’t sure where to look and if I say I think she deserted, they will arrest her on sight, my hands are tied.” When Rukia opened her mouth to respond, he glared her down. “I came here in person because you are  _ her mother  _ but if she left, I will treat her the same as any other shinigami. I give you my word.” 

“She wouldn’t have deserted” Rukia finally said. 

“Her best friend just died, we have no idea what she will do.” 

They attacked them two streets down from the Mansion. When the first all-black shinigami attacked, Ichigo grabbed the back of Ichika’s outfit and threw her behind him with ease. Zangetsu sang as the zanpakuto interacted with a dagger, the eyes of the enemy went impossibly wide. Behind him, Ichika recovered quickly, her own jagged zanpakuto cutting a wide path among the men (proving to him she was fine, that she could still fight). Fighting like this, Ichigo forgot to hold his power in and didn’t feel the need to. It was freeing to fight like this and when the surrounding squad began to freeze and their blades did not cut him; he realized what he was doing. 

He grinned a feral smile and gripped the uniform of one. 

“Who sent you?” He demanded of the man whose eyes rolled back into his head as he went limp in Ichigo’s hand. 

“It’s not worth it, they’re trained to never give up information.” He looked back at Ichika, she was frowning down at the men scattered around her. “We’re almost to the mansion, come on.” Ichigo stared after her back, the kid was hiding something, Urahara’s face clear with its mistrust was clear in his head, but he followed anyway. 

He watched her move her hands to perform a spell; the path glowed before them, watched the way her brow furrowed. 

“Wait,” She said. 

“What?”

“The mansion, he’s not there. He’s never out this late,” She looked at him with a warning in her eyes. “It could be a trap.” Ichigo started moving before she finished her sentence and she scampered at his heels. 

Going through Byakuya’s office was surprisingly easy. Ichika moved through the house with the ease of someone who knew all the back passages, they do not run into any servants or guards. 

“Uncle always brings the important stuff here, he hates the office back in the battalion.” He knew when Renji was the man’s Lieutenant he spent almost every waking moment in the battalion, he wondered what changed. 

“Quickly,” Ichika said, as she ruffles through the files on the desk, Ichigo took the other half, his eyes gliding over the various paperwork searching for anything with his son’s name on it. He saw Ichika’s name, the words ‘desertion’ on the form and looked over his shoulder at her. 

“Ichi,” He started when they heard a door slam downstairs, his mouth closed with a snap. 

Everything in his head was screaming this was a trap, and the way Ichika froze didn’t make him feel any better. 

He heard Rukia’s voice clear as day and something inside of him shuddered to a stop. It had been years since he last saw her and he wanted to flash step to her, to surprise her and see her smile but Kuzui’s smiling face in his head stopped him dead in his place. What did they do? What did they know? 

“They shouldn’t be here,” Ichika said. “Mom hasn’t been here in ages.” Fear was clear on her face and she looked at Ichigo for a solution and all Ichigo could think of was confronting them. He had to know even if it might put Kazui in more danger, he had to know if Rukia and Renji betrayed him. He didn’t know what he would if they had. 

“Let’s go.” He told her, balling the desertion form tight in his hand. 

Here was what happened.

Ichigo and Ichika flash stepped downstairs.

Rukia moved first, Sode no Shirayuki digging into Ichigo’s throat before he could even raise Zangetsu in return. Ichika had her zanpakuto pointed straight at her Captain, her uncle looking down on her glacial eyes. Her father stood next to him, staring in shock.

“Rukia,” Ichigo said first and the other woman’s zanpakuto wavered.

“Ichika!” Renji yelled a second later as his daughter stepped forward, bringing her sword closer to her uncle. 

“Dad?” She asked, not looking away from Byakuya.

“What are you doing?” Byakuya asked with a sneer, and he shifted his body, a familiar way, No, 

“Stop!” He and Renji yelled together, they recognized that shift, they had to, it almost killed them both. 

“Enough!’ Rukia said, and no one moved, they couldn’t, ice clung to their feet, freezing them into place. “Ichigo, what are you doing here?”

“Kazui,” Was all he said, but he saw the way Rukia’s face shattered as she backed away from him.

“I’m so sorry.” Was all she said, and the ice melted as she flash stepped away from them. 

“Rukia!” He yelled, he spun around to Renji, Ichika and Byakuya. “What’s going on? What does she know!?” 

“Ichigo,” Renji said, something like pity in his eyes. “Kazui was on a mission for her when he died.” 

Rukia paced the safe house floor, the floorboards worn under her feet. 

She shouldn’t have left, she should have stayed, she should have said something, but she looked at Ichigo and all she saw was Kazui and it was so much harder than she thought it would be. 

“Your father is here.” She said to the empty safe house, and he does not answer, he hasn’t answered her in weeks. 

It does not sense, not even from an emotional standpoint, but from a logical standpoint, Kazui shouldn’t be missing, dead. 

It had seemed so simple.

Kazui had come to her and he said: “I think I know where to hit.”

And she said, “What do you need?” 

He said, “A few men of yours, I’m taking two of my own.” 

“What did you tell your captain?” 

He had looked at her, a look of displeasure on his face and said, “I didn’t and you don’t either.”

“Kazui!”

It made little sense because Kazui wasn’t self-sacrificial like his father. He was clever, saved himself and Ichika from any of her fool schemes when they had been growing up. He could be incredibly harsh, focused, and brilliant. He was very into risk assessment for every little thing. 

He shocked her once when he tested a way that Soul Society did things and concluded if they did it a different way it would kill one man as opposed to three.

He did that with so many things, hated spending a certain amount of energy on a kido so he changed how he did it, hated the way his Division ran and got into a huge fight with her brother to fix it, hated Soul Society, so he. She cut off that thinking. 

That quality of his made him both popular and unpopular, Shunsei hated having him anywhere near One, knowing Kazui would give his opinion on something which did not concern him. Mayuri constantly tried to poach the boy from Byakuya, acknowledging Kazui might just be smart enough to assist him. 

This wasn’t supposed to happen. One man out of seven was not supposed to return and say explicitly “Lieutenant Kurosaki sacrificed himself to save me.” That didn’t happen, Kazui would have planned ahead, would have made sure he survived, Kazui was supposed to be good enough things like this didn’t happen!

“What if something occurs?” She had asked him. What if it goes wrong, she didn’t say. “They deserve to know the truth.”

“This doesn’t concern them, they’re  _ nobles _ , Rukia.” And he never called her by her title when they did this. 

Sure, if he wanted into her office at the Battalion, he would ask her lieutenants nicely where the Captain was but the moment the door closed he lost all signs of respect for her, even Aunt.

Kazui could be such an asshole.

But he succeeded, he did exceptionally well. Soul Society had taken him when he was young and made an excellent soldier out him, he had prospered. That was what she told herself, how she defended herself when he looked at her with too young human eyes, when he fell asleep at her desk, literally trailing off in the middle of one of his theories. When he looked like a child who was never really allowed a childhood when she remembered she didn’t stop them from doing to him what they did to his father. 

It was why when Renji slammed his fist into her desk she didn’t flinch. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He had roared when the news of Kazui’s death first spread. 

The noble tale of Lieutenant Kurosaki sacrificing himself to save the last of his men. No one had asked the real questions, even her own brother had taken the medallion from the last man and blamed his own ignorance, blamed the freedom he gave Kazui, wanted to blame Ichika and couldn’t. He withdrew, trusting that Rukia and Kazui had done all they said they would do, that it was a mistake, an accident. He quietly moved Kazui’s things into one of their warehouses, mourned the only way he knew how quietly and without reaction. 

“You were busy,” Rukia said, her own answer weak to her own ears. 

“Busy?!” Renji had yelled. “Kazui was my,” And he stopped, what was he going to say, friend, Lieutenant, she wondered if he almost said son, their nephew. They had felt responsible for him when their own daughter had been taken away from them to learn the traditions of a family she was hardly related to. So they tried to do their best by both children, tried to be there for them when they needed them. It was why Byakuya gave the pair so much freedom when they became his lieutenants, it was why Kazui could be so disrespectful to everyone. He was like a son to all of them and the anguish on Renji’s face made her heart hurt. 

“Kazui was our nephew.” He finally settled on. “And both of you knew this was reckless!”

“We thought it necessary,” she said. 

“You both loved that sneaky shit, but it’s not a game anymore, Rukia!”

“I know.” She said. “But you still can’t tell them.”

“What?” And he was livid. 

“This does not involve them.”

“Kazui was,”

“Kazui is gone and if we endanger them, it is on us.”

“Dammit, Rukia!” He said, slamming his palm on the desk. “You have a week, I will not lie to them, not for you and not for Kazui!” 

She wondered if he told the truth now if after she left, he stood up and said, “She did it, she killed Kazui”

No, she didn’t; she wanted to scream, but she didn’t stop Kazui, she didn’t stop him! And now Ichigo was gonna look her in her face and know she killed his only son. She threw herself into her chair. 

She should go back, she should say something, apologize again to Ichigo. To Ichika, she lied to them, because Kazui wanted her too and for what? Just so they never have peace for his death? She should,

The door opened, her sword was out and leveled at Renji’s face before he took a step over the threshold and he was frowning deeply at her.

“They’re on their way.” He said as if she didn’t have a sword aimed for his chest. “They’re coming by the tunnels.” 

“Who?”

“Not the assassins after our daughter for the information she doesn’t have.” 

“Assassins? Is she okay?”

“You would know if you hadn’t,”

“I couldn’t face him, could you? If you had killed his son?”

“You’re no coward, Rukia and you didn’t kill Kazui!” 

“I might as well have! If I had stopped him,”. She could have saved him, could have made him give up the whole silly crusade. 

“There was not a person alive who could have stopped Kazui from doing what he wanted,” Ichigo said. Ichika stood behind him, both of them looking at her and Rukia’s heart stopped. “Now, why did your brother give me this fake medallion and tell me it was Kazui’s?” 


	3. lay it all out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rukia finally just tells the truth, meanwhile, their time is running out.

“You know the most right now, Rukia. Help us, something is wrong here.”

“What if we do all this and he’s still gone?” 

“Then at least we have peace.” 

“Someone is going through a lot of trouble to make us believe Kazui is dead.” 

Rukia examined the medallion she had let Byakuya’s guilty conscience take and Ichigo was right. There wasn’t a trace of the medallion ever even having been in Kazui’s hand.

“The last man of their squad nearly gave his life to get this medallion back, and it’s not even real.” Rukia closed her eyes and breathed out. This changed something? Nothing? Could Kazui really still be alive? 

Ichigo watched Rukia clutch the medallion and breathe out, something like hope blooming in her face.

Back at the mansion, Byakuya and Renji had talked to them, Byakuya berating Ichika for not coming to him, Renji clutching him as if he would vanish in the next second. 

Ichika had asked: “How are you sure he’s dead?” And Byakuya had held up the medallion.

His heart had dropped. Kazui went nowhere without his gift from his Tio Chad, it was his link to the Living World, and a link to his family. If Byakuya had it,

Then Byakuya put it in his hand and the cold, dead gold gave him hope.

He watched Rukia now holding it close as if imagining the boy would appear from it. Tried to dissect the feelings inside of him as he stared at her. He felt like he should be angry, if he had never come to Soul Society would she have just avoided him forever, drowning in her guilt? 

Thought about the way Byakuya startled when Ichika had fired off at the man, “Protecting me from being assassinated by Second or would that have happened regardless of if you lied to me?” The way Byakuya had twirled to Renji, fear cleared on his face and yelled for the man to find Rukia quick. He had turned back to Ichika, his eyes wide.

“What have you done?” 

Knew then that this was bigger than any of them thought. 

Rukia now leaned back in her desk chair, handing him file after file, their fingers grazing as she passes him folder after folder, still not holding his eye, he recognizes Kazui’s tight, cramped handwriting, Rukia’s large curly and bubbling. 

“Kazui came to me, he had uncovered some irregularities concerning the number of people in West 26.” His eyes dart to Renji who rubs the back of his neck. 

“It got overlooked by my men and he went to Rukia because 13th has a lot more leeway than I do.” 

“People were disappearing soon after they arrived at the District, just three and four at a time every few weeks, with the quick replacement rate, no one noticed, until Kazui.” 

“How long?” 

“Kazui estimated maybe ten to fifteen years.” 

Ichika’s mouth opened in shock and she covered it with her hand, shock clear in her face. Hundreds of people vanished, and no one noticed for years. 

“Why didn’t he,”

“He didn’t want to involve you, any of you,” She said, focusing on Ichigo in particular. “He figured if he could solve it fast enough he could stop more people from vanishing. He wanted to keep you safe.” She said to Ichika. 

It sounded like his son.

“Bullshit,” Ichika said. “Kazui didn’t give a shit about how dangerous something was, he wouldn’t keep it from his captain.” _ From her _ went unsaid. 

“He would if he suspected him,” Renji said and Ichika’s mouth snapped closed. “He suspected several captains of either overlooking or covering up the disappearances.” 

“Even you?” Ichigo asked before he could stop and the other man glanced at Rukia, the woman looking away from him.

“Even me.” He sighed. “Kazui thought it was happening in tons of districts especially the past 60s where no one would notice.”

“But you had been working on that.” It was all Renji had ever talked about, about providing resources and communication and transportation to the outer districts, his eyes had glowed when he talked about it. 

“Yeah, but it’s 20 years and I’ve barely made a dent.” And was it really over 20 years ago where Ichigo was lying in Renji’s office as the older man paced back and forth, explaining his dreams for the future? What felt like a lifetime ago for Ichigo was only a second in Renji’s life (and one day every interaction Ichigo had with him would be but a second in the man’s lifetime) “That frustrated Kazui, he thought every problem of Soul Society was because the Seireitei treated the Rukongai like a hindrance and not a part of them.”

“You say that like he didn’t get that from you.” Rukia interrupted and something like a sharp-toothed smile crossed Renji’s face tinged with sadness. It hit Ichigo with a sudden realization that everyone in this room loved Kazui, that they saw him grow. They were his family and his death was ripping them apart (and bringing them together).

“This case was his proof, hundreds of people vanishing and no one bothering to do anything? It was like the last straw.”

“How far did he get?” Ichika asked her mother. “Who sent Second after me? What do they _ think _ I know?” 

“Are you sure it was the Second’s assassins?”

“They moved like Second assassins,” She retorted. “But no they didn’t have any insignia on their robes I saw.” Ichigo thought back to the adrenaline hazed fight, the man whose eyes rolled back in his head, there was something 

“He had a tattoo,” Ichigo said. “One of the men, on his neck had a fish tattoo.” 

“Noble protection squad” Renji and Rukia say together. 

“I hate when they do that,” Ichika said, frowning at her parents. 

“What’s a noble protection squad?” Ichigo asked.

“Each of the Noble families has their own squad of assassins, soldiers, and spies.” She sketches out the fish shape practically pulling the image from his brain (still in her childish cartoon style). “This is a tattoo for shinigami who have left service and been hired on by families, the more powerful the family the more men they typically have.”

“Ours is fairly small because Uncle uses the division as part of the Kuchiki Guard, the same way the Shihouin family used to use the 2nd.” Ichika traces the drawing with her finger. “You think some Noble family is hunting me because of Uncle or Kazui?” 

“Probably both. Removal of you removes any information they think Kazui would have found, and it removes the bastard heir of the Clan.”

“So what do we do?” She asked. Renji coughed and Rukia looked at him, her eyes sharp. 

“Declare war.” They said together. 

“Byakuya said Shunsei was a bad idea, Ichika is a fugitive right now.” 

“We can’t declare war without Uncle, he’ll kill us, me, he’ll kill me.”

Rukia laughs high pitched and sweet and something goes tight in Ichigo’s chest. 

“We have two options we wait for the last man who saw Kazui alive to wake up, there are spells that allow you to examine memories for alterations.”

“Illegal spells,” Renji said with a grin.

“Ryu can do them though, can’t she?” Rukia sniped back

“Hell yeah.” And Renji was always so proud of his lieutenant, Ichigo wondered when Ryu would have had to learn spells that alter memory, why she was so willing to allow Renji to use her for illegal operations. Thought about all the cases and missions he had missed out on and could have helped with when he was back in the living world, thought about everything Kazui probably wanted to tell him about Soul Society but didn’t because he knew Ichigo never wanted to come back here. 

Never wanted for Kazui to be caught up in this Society’s politics, wanted him to live. 

Wanted him to be happy.

Wanted, 

Well, it was too late for thoughts like this, anyway.

“Or you declare war in your defense as your right as the Heir to the Clan.” 

“You’ve thought about this,” Ichigo said, accused actually. “Planned it.”

“Kazui accused the captains at first, figured they were the only ones powerful enough to cover up a case this big, but while he didn’t completely rule them out, he looked into others with that power.”

“Central 46.” He said.

“The Noble Houses.” She had a distant look in her eye, and he could imagine the two of them, Kazui and Rukia going back and forth on theories, hoping for an answer. “I hoped he was wrong, the Noble Families do better when we left them alone.” 

“We present Ichigo as a friend of the family.”

“No one is going to believe he’s not here looking for Kazui.”

“They don’t have to, they just have to think our family can use his power against the other noble families.” 

“Like a weapon?” Ichika asked. Rukia shot her a glare.

“Watch that tone, we just need them to think we’re using him,” She turned to Ichigo. “Right now, Kazui is a closed Gotei 13 investigation,”

“Because of Uncle!” Renji nudges her quiet.

“If we declare war against the Noble families for killing Kazui _ and _ attempting to murder Ichika, it becomes all of Soul Society’s problem. They’ll want to return to peace quickly. Something has to come up.” Rukia said, her hands outstretched, her eyes gleaming. 

“The Noble families are older than the Gotei 13, so besides acknowledging it, there is nothing Shunsei can do to stop us.” 

He remembered something Youichi told him years ago, about how the Noble families allowed the Gotei 13 to exist and in exchange received protection and order. If the Noble families ever withdrew their support of the system, the Seireitei would collapse. The Gotei 13 was the might of Soul Society, Central 46, the Noble Houses were the brain. 

“It will be like an open season on the noble families if we do this,” Renji said with a dark look in his eyes.

Rukia thought about the years he dedicated to trying to fix the outer districts, the late hours they both spent trying desperately to find anything that worked. The other Noble families who sneered at their efforts, the captains that had tried to steer Renji in another direction. 

“They’ve been overdue for some excitement.” It would remove the immediate danger from Ichika and that was all that mattered. Besides, the Noble families had been at peace for years now, the massacre of the old Central 46 firmly lying on Aizen’s hands. Everyone owed them in a way, it had been her execution that showed his trickery, her best friend Ichigo who had given everything to Soul Society to stop him. “It will be worth it if it protects Ichika and brings Kazui back to us, it has to be worth it.” 

“Rukia, five minutes!” Renji said, bringing his hand down from his ear.

“This safe house is about to be burned by someone besides your Uncle.” She gripped her daughter’s shoulders. “They have a lock on your reiatsu.” 

“I thought you weren’t sure.” And he thought back to the tight hug the woman had pulled her daughter into. Rukia had been checking then, just a casual show of her power and when did he become the one playing catch up to them, when did his best friends become these powerful people and he became the one having to be protected? 

“I can’t track it but you and Ichigo will take the tunnels to One, inform Shunsei and allow the kido corps to track whoever is.” She looks up at Ichigo over Ichika’s shoulders. “This will be your lead, whoever is hunting Ichika knows something about Kazui.” 

“What about you?” he and Ichika ask simultaneously. 

Thought back to when they had done the same thing before Byakuya had shoved them down into the tunnels. 

_ “I’m a captain.” He had said. “If they ask, I know nothing.” _

“We’re gonna stay here, fight off the squad coming before making our way to Sixth to prepare,” Renji said. 

“No! That’s too dangerous!” Ichika said, worry clear in her voice for her parents. They both turned bemused eyes on her. They’re captains, after all, very powerful people. 

“I think we’ll be okay,” Renji said. “Now move!” 

Rukia grabbed his hand, intertwining his fingers with hers before he can take a step.

“I couldn’t protect Kazui and for that don’t forgive me. But keep her safe? Please.” 

“You got it.” He told her, letting their foreheads gently bump together. She was one of his best friends, he loved her and respected her and when he looked at her, he saw the same woman he had always seen.

No matter the outcome, he could never hate her. She must have seen it in his eyes the way her eyes welled up with tears. 

“Now, Ichigo!” Renji barked, and they separated, Ichigo back down into the dark tunnels with Ichika and Rukia to Renji’s side. 

“Focus,” Renji said, intertwining his fingers with hers. “It’s gonna work.” 

And then the enemy was upon them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haven't forgotten revolution wears you well! just not gonna let this inspiration go while i got it.

**Author's Note:**

> I talk about this universe and more on my tumblr  
[Bloodbendingbabe](https://bloodbendingbabe.tumblr.com/)


End file.
